Why I went and saw ‘The Lunchbox’

Another
movie that forces me to write a blog entry…Well, this time I had enough
reasons to write about it even before watching it.

A lot has
been said and written about Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Lunchbox’ over the past couple
of weeks. Not many people in my circles had heard about the film before it
released last week. Most of my college mates at MCRC said that since the film
had Irfan Khan, it ought to be a good one. Not many were aware that this is one
multi-award winning film which till a week back was contending to be India’s
official nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the Academy
Awards, but lost to ‘The Good Road’. Hardly anyone knew the reason why I wanted
to watch this film in the first place.

With a
packed college schedule every week (and half the weekend a.k.a. Saturdays), I
went and watched the film with a few friends on Thursday evening. As I took my
seat in the houseful show, I told my friend, ‘Look out for some known
people’s names in the opening credits’.

The opening
sequence of the film was something I loved. Beautifully captured long shots of
Mumbai’s local trains, the dabbawalas and early morning office goers.
And then the long list of producers (Yeah, this is India’s first
Indo-French-German collaborated film with an American distributor- Sony
Pictures) started and I waited for the name I was looking forward to see. As
soon as Guneet Monga’s name appeared I pointed at it and spoke out the name as
loudly and as non-shoutingly as I could. Yeah, this is somebody I know!
She is my grad-college alumnus! A moment of pride.

(No
spoilers ahead, keep reading, even if you are yet to see the film)

The film is
short. Crisp. It could have done without an interval. I had made a check-in on
facebook when I had entered the hall. And as the lights came on during the
interval, I checked my phone and saw a comment on the check-in from a neighbor-
‘Tell me what U think of the ending’. That one line got my nerves
tickling. Is there going to be an unexpected ending? Some kind of twist in the
tale? Something to break the cute love-story taking shape slowly? I didn’t know
what was going to happen, having made sure that I read no reviews of the film
before I see it. But right now one thing seemed certain- something will
happen that’s not expected in the end.

The lights
dimmed again and after a reminder that ‘Mukesh died of mouth cancer’ and
‘Ye tar aapko kar sakta hai bahut bimaar’, the film resumed. Mr. Fernandes’s
lonely life, Ila’s will to escape her frustrated existence combined with upar-wali
aunty’s life-nuskhe and Sheikh’s wrong-time entries and talks, plus, of
course, the consistent wrong, but destined, delivery of the lunchbox, cooks up
the entire plot of the film. As the screen went dark, my hands went up, in
anticipation… ‘Please, don’t end here…,’ I muttered. The credits started
rolling.

As the screen went dark, my hands went up, in anticipation… ‘Please, don’t end here…,’ I muttered. The credits started rolling. [Making use of my recently earned Adobe Illustrator knowledge, this is my first ever computer Illustration]

My mind was
focused on checking each and every name in the credits list (After having seen
familiar names in Bombay Talkies and Ship of Theseus, I make sure
I sit till the end of the credits in every film). Is there somebody else in the
crew I know? And well, yes! In the camera team, a name scrolled right on the
top- Siddharth Diwan- another alumnus from my college. I like this!

‘Am I the
only one who doesn’t understand films like this one?’ a friend asked us as we
all sat there watching the credits.

We laughed.
‘I am going to get Guneet Monga’s contact and call or write to her about the
film,’ I told everyone. What the film had done, and what probably films like
these always tend to do, was probably open a space for discussion. That is what
had happened when I had seen The Reluctant Fundamentalist a few months
back or when I had seen Ship of Theseus a few weeks ago.

As we made
our way out of the hall, our discussions began.

(Spoilers
ahead, you have been warned)

‘What
exactly happened? Did they meet or not?’

‘What
was she saying? Did she send the letter to him?’

‘She said
she is going to Bhutan. Is he going as well?’

‘The
transformation occurred in the train scene. Did you notice that really old man
sitting across him? The camera focused on his fingers tapping the table. He
didn’t want to be like that in a few years.’

‘Their
meeting is what we hope for. They should have shown something of that.’

‘Why do
these good films make us keep guessing? Are they good films because they make
us keep guessing?’

(No more
spoilers from here)

‘Will you
be writing a blog entry on this film,’ I was asked. I wasn’t too sure now. This
film did force me to think, gave me some thoughts to ponder, something which
has been common about film related blogs that I have written in the past.

The next
day at college, everyone asked me about my views on the film. My only reply
was, ‘Go and watch it. Let’s discuss it after that.’ By this time I was certain
that there were too many thoughts occupying my mind and I had to take a few
hours out to write about this film on my blog. I have to open my own platform
for discussion with people who have seen the film, ones who have thought about
it. And yes, if possible, maybe I can contact and get some of the people in
the credits of the film, who I claim I know, to read this entry of mine and
give their views… [;)]

P.S.: I
read Shobha De’s column in today’s TOI about the film and its Oscar journey and
liked it. Do take a read.

"The lights dimmed again and after a reminder that ‘Mukesh died of mouth cancer’ and ‘Ye tar aapko kar sakta hai bahut bimaar’, the film resumed" :P

i really liked the way you have written the review...the style is a bit different..but after madras cafe, shudh desi , i really cannot gather enough courage to watch another bollywood flick and let my hopes down.. but the lunchbox as you said ifran khan..is making me irresistible to watch it..

Well written .:)3 films that i consider to be this years finest: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag , Ship of theseus , The Lunchbox.Review's well put. A bit more brief on details when compared to my version. Loved yours!Check out my version if you want to. :)http://aficionadolog.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-lunchbox-movie-review.html